The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

Ever since he had confessed his feelings, he’d become a hermit of sorts,

spending most of his days tinkering in the kitchen, crafting all manner of comfort

food—from hearty meatloaf to creamy mashed potatoes—eager to please her

every craving.

If he wasn’t fussing over some recipe, he’d be pacing by her side, bombarding

her with questions about everything and nothing at all. The only time he ever

seemed to detach himself was to huddle in his home office, sifting through a pile

of paperwork from the company.

Nights were another story. They were tangled in sheets, his hands wandering,

as if he were trying to memorize every inch of her. And boy, did he run hot. In

Enter title…

the chill of winter, she would often wake in a sweat, overheated from his

furnace-like body.

It didn’t take long for Rose to feel smothered. He was just too clingy.

In response, she threw herself into a slew of activities. Swimming lessons,

which Morrison insisted on teaching himself, were a success, and within days

she was cutting through water with the ease of a natural. He followed her, albeit

reluctantly, to prenatal classes. They went through the motions every expectant

parent did—changing clothes, swapping diapers, bathing—a whole new world

for Morrison.

Initially, he felt embarrassed, but once he realized he was just one of many guys

there, he relaxed. Sometimes, he’d even puff his chest out in pride when he

mastered a task quicker than the others, much to Rose’s bemusement. She

never thought she’d see this side of Morrison, but despite sometimes feeling

overwhelmed by his attentiveness, she couldn’t help but be touched.d2

He was changing, all for her.

—

As her belly grew, so did the discomfort and mood swings. Morrison often found

himself on the receiving end of her unpredictable temper, subjected to the silent

treatment or an icy glare that seemed to come out of nowhere.

This passive-aggressive mastery was her weapon of choice.

Megan would swing by every so often, laden with nutritious treats for Rose and

a good-natured scolding for Morrison. According to her, he could do no right,

and Morrison, well, he just sucked it up and carried on.

One particular day, he made the mistake of leaving the bedroom window wide

open, and boy, did he hear about it.

“Ventilation’s all good and well,” Megan lectured, “but you’re practically

unhinging the window. What if Rose walks in and catches a cold from this draft?

Do you have any idea how dangerous that is for a pregnant woman? Do you

think they’re as robust as you, tumbling around like a bear?”

Rose glanced silently at Morrison, pursing her lips. A bear, really?

Morrison didn’t argue with Megan. Instead, he glanced at Rose and excused

himself, “I’ve got a pot roast in the oven. Better check on it.”

His expression was unreadable, perhaps a sign he’d grown accustomed to the

scolding.

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When Morrison left, Molly’s gaze towards him still carried a hint of pity. He’d

made his bed, now he had to lie in it.

Megan and Molly kept Rose company for a while, until Rose excused herself to

the restroom. When she returned, she headed straight for the kitchen.

Morrison was busy tending to his culinary creation, having just sealed the lid on

a steaming pot. His cooking skills had surged in recent weeks. If there was

anything he set his mind to, he’d excel at it. As Rose wrapped her arms around

his waist, he knew it was her. He held her hand for a moment before turning to

face her, their eyes meeting in a tender gaze.

“Why are you here?” he asked, his voice soft.

She smiled and leaned in for a kiss, which he deepened, taking control. After a

prolonged embrace, he released her, her cheeks flushed with warmth.

“Hmm?” He groped her waist and asked her the question he had just asked.

“I just… You’ve been catching so much flak because of me,” Rose confessed,

holding onto his shirt.

“Feeling sorry for me?” Morrison raised an eyebrow.

“No, just worried you might start taking it out on me one day,” she replied, halfjoking.

He nodded solemnly, “Well, I’m keeping a tally. Once you give birth, I’ll make

sure to collect on every bit of it.”

Rose’s face reddened again; the shyness in his eyes, which she didn’t even

know she possessed, caught her off guard.

Morrison’s adam’s apple bobbed, and the hand on her waist tightened a bit. He

leaned down to kiss her again, his voice husky. “I have to endure another three

months. This is unbearable…”

Although it’s permissible during pregnancy, he had been warned by the doctor

during their last check-up not to overdo it. After an elaborate speech about the

consequences, the doctor basically canceled his intimate privileges.

He deeply regretted not having acted sooner, and not taking full advantage of

those two months after their marriage. It would have been best if he had kept

her beneath him night and day, indulging in the ecstasy of love.

His words sent Rose’s heart pounding wildly. Her face turned an even deeper

shade of red, her heart skipping a beat at his words. “You… you’re always so

restless.”

“Who else but you stirs me up?” he countered, his touch sending shivers down

her spine. “Maybe I should stay away from you more, then you wouldn’t be

thinking about these things all the time.”

He bit her lip playfully, “I won’t allow it. Wherever you go, I go. Can’t be away

from you, not even a step.”

She laughed softly, her hands unconsciously smoothing over his shirt.

“You weren’t this horny before.”

“Before, you were out of reach. Out of sight, out of mind.”

And then she had ensnared him completely, leaving him without a shred of selfcontrol. How could he resist when

she was there, in front of him, every day?

They were interrupted by the delightful aroma wafting from the pot. “What’s

cooking?” she asked, leaning closer.

“Rib stew. You’ll love it,” he assured her.

She inhaled the scent and nodded eagerly. “When will it be ready? I can hardly

wait.”

“Just give it five more minutes,” he said, wrapping his arms around her as they

stood together, watching the pot simmer.

Suddenly, Rose’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh no. Megan and Molly, I forgot

they were still here.”

“Stay here, no need to come out. We won’t disturb your lovey-dovey time.” Molly

teased from the doorway, her voice tinged with affection.

Both of them turned around to see Megan and Molly standing at the kitchen

entrance, eyes fixed on them.

“Megan, Mom, what brings you down here?”

“Couldn’t stand being cooped up upstairs any longer. You two carry on. Just be

careful, you don’t want an accident happening at a time like this.”

Rose’s cheeks turned a fiery red.

“Did you hear that? You rascal. Keep it in your pants.” Megan, of course,

couldn’t bear to scold Rose, so she turned and gave Morrison a piece of her

mind.

Morrison pressed his lips together, feeling a shade embarrassed. “Got it.”

He really didn’t feel like arguing with them now. Once they started, there was no

end to it. He just hoped they would leave soon.

Megan seemed satisfied with his compliant attitude, “Well, it’s only three more

months at most. It’ll fly by in the blink of an eye. You’ve made it through all these

years, and you can handle three more months.”

Megan never missed a chance to rib Morrison. She shot him a chilly glance, her

eyes filled with warning.

After seeing Megan and Molly out, Rose could finally indulge in a nutritious and

delicious bowl of stew. Then she settled on the living room couch, full and

content, scrolling through her phone.

Morrison finished tidying up and sat beside her, catching a glimpse of the phone

screen.

The same four dudes of that game of hers again. He didn’t know how many

times he’d expressed his displeasure about this, but Rose hadn’t given up.

“Don’t you love me anymore?”

“Loving you has nothing to do with them. Behave, will ya? Stop fussing.”

Look at that, how whipped did he have to be for her to say something like that?

After that comment, he couldn’t very well keep complaining. And he didn’t dare

upset her. After all, she was his little queen. She said to stop fussing, so he

would. At least she took the time to explain things to him.

He watched her play on her phone for a while, but he couldn’t stand it. Those

guys, so nauseatingly cheesy, didn’t they have anything better to do than spew

sleazy sweet nothings and flirt shamelessly?

It was downright immoral. Wasn’t this fraud, messing with a woman’s feelings

without taking responsibility? He was going to report them.

“That voice, it could lull someone to death. Criminal.” Rose murmured under her

breath, her eyes glued to the screen, clearly lost in her own thoughts.

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The voice?

Morrison immediately perked up his ears, and it took a while before he heard a

man’s voice from the phone. “No matter the past or future, I want your time to

stand still just for me.”

Morrison turned abruptly to look at Rose, who was still fixated on her phone. It

wasn’t his imagination; her ears were indeed turning red.

With that smile of hers, she was clearly smitten.

Morrison opened his mouth to say something, but he feared upsetting Rose.

After a moment’s thought, he simply lay down with his head on Rose’s lap,

rolling his head over her round belly.

Rose paused, lifted her phone higher, and looked down at Morrison. “What are

you doing?”

Morrison looked up at Rose, finally drawing her attention. He flipped over,

pressing his ear against her swollen belly. “I’m listening to what our son is up

to.”

Rose’s expression softened, and she set her phone aside, looking down at him

as he earnestly listened to her belly. The scene touched her heart, and she

smiled, gently caressing her belly. “He must be waking up from a nap. I just felt

some movement.”

At her words, Morrison pressed closer.

Rose chuckled, running her fingers through Morrison’s hair as he intently

listened for any movement inside.

Now, she could clearly feel the little one inside her. Sometimes he was quiet,

while other times he frolicked restlessly in her womb. Like now, while she had

been playing her game, she had felt the long-still belly suddenly stir.

Since the first flutters of movement, she’d gone from startled to accustomed in

no time at all, but now that Morrison suddenly showed interest in their baby, she

was overjoyed.

And just in time, it seemed the little one had woken up.

“I can hear his heartbeat,” Morrison suddenly whispered, taking a few seconds

before propping himself up and lifting Rose’s maternity blouse.

Her taut, round belly was exposed before him.

He blinked, touched it gently, and then gave it a soft pat, “Little guy, be good in

there, okay? And hey, maybe consider coming out early to see the world.”

Rose couldn’t help but smile, but in a few seconds, her belly rippled with

movement. Like a wave, it passed swiftly.

She gasped, and Morrison immediately reached out to feel the spot. Then

another movement popped up elsewhere. It went on a few times before calming

down.

Rose was stunned, and seeing Morrison’s equally dumbfounded face, she burst

into laughter. “Maybe he’s protesting against you?”

Morrison stared at her belly for a while longer before finally looking up at her. He

was dazed for a few seconds before regaining his composure. “Protesting

against me? That little rascal, wait till he gets out, I’ll show him!”

Rose smiled, lips pursed, “But he’s your son. Can you really bear to be tough on

him?”

“A son needs to be raised right.”

“Woof, woof, woof.”

Little Moon must have wandered over at some point and started barking out of